Manchester United: The Rebuild

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We have completed the signings of 27 year old Uruguayan defensive-midfielder Matías Vecino and 22 year old Scottish left-back Kieran Tierney, for £17.75 million and £21 million, on £115k and £66k p/w respectively. We also let go of Nemanja Matíc, who went to Real Madrid for £24.5 million, Chris Smalling, who went to Inter Milan for £15 million, Ashley Young, who went to Leicester City on a season-long loan, and Scott McTominay, who went to FC Zürich for £3.5 million, all of whom were surplus to requirements for Gary Neville`s "rebuild". 27 year old Uruguayan defensive midfield powerhouse Matías Vecino had become the no.1 target of Neville`s over the last couple of weeks, especially after the departure of Nemanja Matíc to Real Madrid. Vecino was transfer-listed by Inter Milan, and as soon as this was seen by Neville and his team, they went straight after him, as to acquire a player of his calibre for only £17.75 million, would have been a massive bargain! He joined only a couple of days ago and he is a terrific addition, who will add star quality to the centre of the park, while replacing the likes of Nemanja Matíc and Scott McTominay, and also allowing players such as Andreas Pereira to build up more first team football. Vecino is known for his strength in the air and on the floor with his huge 6"2" frame, and is also incredibly good all across his game, making him one of the most versatile players there is. We expect Vecino to start alongside Pogba in central-midfield, operating as a deep-lying playmaker, allowing Bruno Fernandes to venture further up the pitch where he is most dangerous in an attacking midfield role.

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22 year old Scottish international wonderkid left-back Kieran Tierney was brought in for £21 million to replace the outgoing Ashley Young, who is now out on loan at Leicester City, but with Neville very unlikely to renew Ashley Young`s contract once he returns. Tierney will add incredible dynamism and overall quality to the defence, and is a real star for the future. Tierney is known for his un-matched grittiness, bravery and determination, his pace and overall athletic ability, his slaloming attacking runs and crossing, as well as his crunch in the tackle and sturdiness in defence. We expect him to start over Luke Shaw, and set the Premier League alight with his talent, for seasons to come!

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We also let a lot more of our youngsters go out on loan, with Diogo Dalot going to Southampton, Axel Tuanzebe to Wolves, Callum Gribbin to Plymouth, Aliou Traoré to Yeovil, Arnau Puigmal to Barakaldo (Spain), Dylan Levitt to Northampton, Nishan Burkart to Cambridge United, Matej Kovar to Notts County, Max Taylor to Hartlepool, Di`Shon Bernard to Ebbsfleet, D`Mani Mellor to Boston United, Brandon Williams and Largie Ramazani to Eastleigh, and Ethan Galbraith and Dion McGhee to Torquay. Cameron Borthwick-Jackson also left, but on a £500k permanent move to Barnsley, and so did Jacob Carney, to MK Dons for £10.75k.




THE LFC FAN:He certainly cant blame the facilities if he doesn't succeed!

FINALLY getting rid of Young! Tierney is a class signing, especially being British and so cheap!

Selling the deadwood I see. Two impressive signings as well. Vecino looks like a decent signing but Tierney tops it for me. Looking forward to more transfers!

Clearing some dead wood and bringing in some decent signings. G Nev is certainly putting his mark on the squad.

Two clever signings to make. You've strengthened two areas that have been weak for Man Utd in recent years, with deadwood leaving the club. I'd imagine the wage budget is looking healthier now, even with the few incomings.

THE FOUNDATIONS HAVE BEEN BUILT AS THE WINDOW SHUTS!

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The English summer transfer window has officially shut, and Gary Neville has really done the dirty work before the deadline, bringing in 4 incredible players, with the completion of 32 year old French world-class midfielder Blaise Matuidi, 23 year old Argentinian international winger Cristian Pavón, 18 year old German right-back Josha Vagnoman, and finally 19 year old Portuguese attacking-midfielder Domingos Quina, for £19.25 million, £2.5 million, £4.3 million, and on loan with a £17 million optional future fee, on £130k p/w, £66k p/w, £27.5k p/w and £8k p/w, respectively. Juan Mata was also offloaded by Neville to AC Milan for £15 million, as he was deemed surplus to requirements, and on £160k p/w sitting on the bench behind Bruno Fernandes during pre-season, it was most definitely a good piece of business. Lets start of with the marquee signing before the deadline, which was actually completed on deadline day, which was the signing of 32 year old French world-class midfield workhorse Blaise Matuidi. He was put on the transfer list by Juventus, as with Aaron Ramsey and Adrien Rabiot arriving, he might not have got the game time he wanted. Neville had been looking for that star central-midfielder who could take this United side to the next level, and as soon as Matuidi was seen listed by Juventus, Neville and his team snatched at the chance and snapped him up for a bargain price. A seasoned French international, with almost 80 senior caps to his name, Matuidi is a true veteran of the centre of the park, and his known for his incredible work rate, teamwork, determination, bravery, strength and his combativeness in the tackle. Matuidi will surely transform our midfield in the short-term, and with him being international teammates with Paul Pogba, should thrive alongside him, playing as a box-to-box midfielder. Hopefully Matuidi can lead us to success with his ability on, and off the pitch, with his colonel like mentality and leadership skills!

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Our next signing to introduce is 22 year old Argentinian international winger Cristian Pavón, who we signed from Boca Juniors, for only £2.5 million( rising to £3 million in add-ons). This is beyond a bargain for a player of his quality, a player that shone and started for Argentina alongside the likes of Lionel Messi at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. With Pavón`s value now being at £24 million, this means we signed him for almost 10 times less than he is now worth! Insane! Pavón is known for his tireless energy, absurd pace, and gritty determination. Pavón in our eyes is a gem of a signing by Neville, and will be a fantastic rotation player for this upcoming season, and in seasons to come, will surely break into the starting XI. And there is no risk to this transfer, so Pavón could have the worst season in history, and we could still sell him for a profit! But we see that as highly unlikely, as he is simply sensational!

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Neville also sorted the depth issue we had at right and left-back, with the signing of 18 year old German wonderkid right-back Josha Vagnoman, for £4.3 million (rising to £4.9 million in add-ons), from Hamburger SV. Vagnoman is a one of a kind right-back, as he is just as capable at playing at left-back, with him being a natural on both sides of the field! He has been capped many times at youth level for Germany, and is highly regarded as one of the most promising young full-backs on the planet. Vagnoman is known for his pace, work rate, and ambidexterity. He will play a very important role for United this season, with him being a very vital rotational option, as Vagnoman can play on both flanks, and he should come in handy if any injuries occur. Neville has really outdone himself with this signing, and we are sure that Vagnoman will be a future star!

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The final signing we introduce is 19 year old Portuguese tricky attacking-midfielder Domingos Quina, who Neville brought in on a season-long loan from Watford, with a optional future fee of £17 million. This was a superb piece of business from Neville and his team, as it gave room for an extra couple of recruitments with the fee being delayed by a season, should we choose to trigger it. Quina is known for his unbelievable passing range and vision, flair, dribbling, and pace. We hope that he has a stellar campaign this term and that Neville chooses to trigger his optional future fee, as he is a huge prospect, being capped many times by Portugal at youth level, and we expect Quina to be world-class attacking-midfielder if he lives up to the hype!

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We also let even more of our youngsters go out on loan, with Timothy Fosu-Mensah going to Burnley, Tahith Chong To Sheffield Wednesday, Daniel James to Brentford, and Andreas Pereira to Derby. Lee Grant was also let go on a free, as he was surplus to requirements, on high wages and no club was willing to pay a fee. Paul Woolston was also let go on a free, as too was Thomas Sang.





JACK: Was fantastic to get Young off our books, and Tierney indeed was a superb signing, and British

JIM: Thanks, plenty more to come too as you can see!

THE LFC FAN: Neville is certainly making a huge mark on this current United side!

JUSTICE: Thanks. Neville was incredibly shrewd with his incomings and outgoings, and for sure the wages will boast a heathier look. Hopefully the signings can pay off though!

Matuidi is ofcourse a good player for the next few years. Let's hope Pavón can finally show his potential and Quinoa and Vagnoman are great for the future. Getting rid of Mata gives the youth more of a chance as well.

Great business all around

I like that you're giving emphasis on the younger players. For example getting rid of Mata as Syb said. Pavon is a great signing as well. Hoping he does well for ya!

9/08/19

LIVERPOOL BREAK MANCHESTER UNITED HEARTS WITH REMARKABLE COMEBACK WIN!

The Kop End as the winning goal goes in, sinking United hearts.

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It was the first game of the 19/20 Premier League season, and what a match-up it was, with Liverpool tied up against their fiercest rivals Manchester United at Anfield on the opening day. It was the competitive debut as manager in the Premier League for new Manchester United boss Gary Neville, as he was paired up against the vastly experienced German tactician Jürgen Klopp. Liverpool were the sure-fire favourites to win the game, and Manchester United seen as the underdogs, but the game didn't really show that, as it was so competitive and there was barely a hair between the sides in the end.

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The game started at a very predictable fast pace, with Liverpool dominating the first several minutes, really trying to stamp their authority on the game. Neville and his Manchester United team, however, had other ideas. The ball was picked up by new signing Aaron Wan-Bissaka in Manchester United`s own half. The ball was passed around a few times at the back, until it reached Paul Pogba, who then proceeded to try and get the ball forward as he saw the opportunity to counter. The ball reached Jesse Lingard from Paul Pogba`s pass, and he surged forward into the middle of the park at blistering pace, and found target-man Romelu Lukaku, who provided a nice flick on to Bruno Fernandes as he was running to underlap the Liverpool centre-backs. And Bruno Fernandes then took a touch to the left and ran on a few yards, and boom! He rifled it into the top left-hand corner with his weaker left foot to make it 1-0 on the 8th minute mark. The Liverpool fans were in complete shock, as too were the players, and a few heads seemed to drop, very uncharacteristic of a sturdy Liverpool side. The Manchester United players were super fired up, and looked ready to draw more blood.

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The game continued in the same vain after the goal, with Liverpool having more of the ball and creating more chances, but really snatching at them, and they were punished for not putting them away. In the 23rd minute, new Manchester United signing Kieran Tierney surged forward with purpose, and continued so for at least 40 yards, straight from the left hand side to the middle, and as soon as Virgil Van Dijk was on his toes, he looked for a pass to Bruno Fernandes, who again found a gap in between the centre-backs with an underlapping run. However, Virgil Van Dijk intercepted the pass, but the interception deflected straight into Bruno Fernandes` path, and he slotted the ball home into the bottom right-hand corner, making it 2-0. All of Anfield fell silent, except for the Manchester United fans, players and staff, including Gary Neville, who was going berserk with ecstasy. Liverpool now had a mountain to climb, but could they summit it? Yes, yes they could.

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Liverpool`s attitude now seemed to completely change, and they seemed to have pushed their whole team further up the field. They were really now trying to get back in the game, and to put it simply, Manchester United couldn't cope. On 29 minutes, Liverpool broke, and a cross from Adam Lallana found Sadio Mané, who headed the ball home from point blank range, as he got in behind Aaron Wan-Bissaka. The game was now well and truly on.

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On 39 minutes, Liverpool had a corner, which eventually found Virgil Van Dijk, who contemplated on the ball for a few seconds, before deciding to shoot, but the shot got deflected and ended up at Naby Keita`s feet, where he hit an absolute screamer first time, straight into the top left-hand corner, leaving David De Gea with no chance. It was an extraordinary effort! And now Liverpool had hit their stride, and Anfield now began to roar, and Manchester United heads began to drop. Luckily for Manchester United, they went in level at the break, giving them some breathing space and time to come up with a plan to try and win the game, or to hold onto the draw.

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In the second-half, Manchester United really gave it their all, and came close a few times, and were not lacking in work rate, but certainly in concentration. On 48 minutes, Liverpool broke from their own half after a bad touch from Romelu Lukaku, and the ball found Sadio Mané, who drove with pace straight into the heart of Manchester United`s defence. He then saw Adam Lallana in space on the left-hand side, and sprayed a pass to him, and he hit a shot, but it hit off the post. However, the ball came back to him, and he then passed it straight to Mohamed Salah, who then tapped it into an empty net. They had done it, they had turned it around! The Liverpool fans went into a frenzy, and the Kop End made noise that most likely broke many ear-drums in the process. Liverpool now had the stranglehold on the game, but Manchester United were not giving up. They fought, and fought, and fought, but could not find a breakthrough, with Virgil Van Dijk being as solid as ever and Alisson Becker acting as a human barricade in goal. The game ended 3-2, and it was one hell of a classic! Despite the loss, Manchester United played extremely well, especially considering the quality of opposition and that many debutants were on the pitch.

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After the game we gathered thoughts of Jürgen Klopp. He said "I am very proud of how we got ourselves together and fought back in the way we did, I am very disappointed with many aspects of our performance, especially in the first-half, we gave United too much time and space. But, we got the 3 points, and that's what matters at the end of the day. I am however looking for a reaction in the next game, for us to not collapse as we did at times, and try to remain solid throughout" . We then gathered Gary Neville`s thoughts. He said "I am extremely proud of my side today, despite the loss. We came to a real fortress in Anfield, a place where Liverpool haven't lost in the league in almost 2 years, and gave them a serious, combative, competitive game. There are so many positives to take from this game despite the loss, and its a good learning curve for us. If we can play like that every game, I think we can achieve a lot this season".




SYB: Fantastic business indeed from Neville, with him getting rid of deadwood, while also bringing in a good mixture of experience and youth, and hopefully Pavón can prove his worth!

JIM: Thanks! And Pavón is a terrific addition

Not the start Neville would've dreamed off, but he can definitely be proud of the players with their efforts

What. A. Game.
Sorry mate but I cannot say I am sad about the loss I am very sure that Neville's form will pick up from now on though!

Very disappointing to lose a game after being 2-0 up. Hopefully Neville can find a way of ensuring his side remain concentrated throughout the full 90 from now on.

"Liverpool broke from their own half after a bad touch from Romelu Lukaku", well, tell me something new That's a really poor loss especially from being 2-0 up. The team need a telling off after that!

Not the best of ways to start your career as Man Utd manager. A heartbreaking defeat. Pride can be taken in going 2-0 up against the best defence in the world, but it seems the squad needs some experience to stop from conceding three. Although that may have just been a one-off, we all know what Liverpool are capable of when they decide to play at their best.